Shadow
by Dede42
Summary: While investigating two strange murders in the Windy City, Sam is startled when he runs into Meg in a bar that one of the murder victims had worked in and is certain that there is a connection between her and the murders. Is Sam right or is there something far more dangerous going on that could cost the Winchesters their lives?
1. Chapter 1: A STRANGE MURDER AND MEG

Supernatural: Shadow

A/N: Hey, so I was going to post this tomorrow like I normally do, but I'm going to be looking after my nephew while my sister, Yami Faerie attends her best friend's wedding tomorrow as the maid of honor, and odds are that I'll be gone all day, so here's an early update, folks. Like I said before, there will be references to _Criminal Minds_, but they aren't going to play a big role, and so I hope no one complains too much.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or from _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: A STRANGE MURDER AND MEG**

Chicago, Illinois…

A young woman, Meredith, was walking home while listening to music on her iPod when a tall, burly man bumped into her; she gave him a disgusted look and continued walking.

Shortly after turning a corner and entering an empty alleyway that had trash scattered everywhere, her iPod stopped playing music; Meredith pulled it off her belt and tapped on the controls for a few seconds before taking off her headphones, frustrated.

"Great."

Just then, a strong wind began to blow around her, and both garbage and leaves scattered everywhere as an eerie whispering began, almost like someone or something was calling out her name.

Meredith looked around, confused before calling out. "Hello?"

There was no answer except the wind, which she tried to ignore and kept walking; as she neared her apartment, Meredith looked over her shoulder and saw the shadow of a man on the wall of a building. Almost as if it was aware of her look at it, the silhouette began to follow her.

Scared, Meredith broke into a run, dashed across the street and finally reached her apartment building. Frantically, she grabbed her keys and rushed to find the right one; after a few seconds, she found the key, opened the door, ran inside, and slammed it shut.

Meredith burst through the door of her apartment, and locked it behind her; breathing hard, she entered a code into the alarm system on the wall, which was bleeping.

_`"System disarmed."`_ She then entered a second code and the bleeping stopped. _`"System armed."`_

Meredith took several deep breathes as her heart stopped pounding, finally feeling safe; she left the room and went to the kitchen to get a beer after setting down her bag and keys. She then went to the living room, pushed a button, and listened to the messages on her answering machine.

_`"Hey, Meredith. It's Kristen. You have to tell me what happened last night. Call me."`_

The beep sounded and another message began to play; while she listened to the message, a shadow began to form on the wall of the apartment; it started as a swirling cloud of smoke and morphed into the silhouette of a tall, skinny creature that seemed to be wearing a rag-like hooded cloak. The creature's shadow slowly moved towards Meredith's shadow on the wall, where it stuck its long, sharp-nailed fingers through her chest; she screamed as her blood splattered on the wall, and both she and her shadow fell to the ground as the creature continued attacking, even after she'd stopped screaming and was clearly dead.

* * *

One week later; Sam, who was looking at a newspaper article about Meredith's murder, Liz, and Dean stopped their car across the street from the apartment building, and got out, dressed as employees of the alarm system company. Going to the trunk, Dean got a toolbox from the trunk of the car, and they proceeded towards the apartment.

"Alright, Dean," Sam said, nodding to the building. "This is the place."

"You know, I've gotta say Dad, Liz, and me did just fine without these stupid costumes," Dean complained, referring to what they were currently wearing, despite the fact that they'd used the credit cards given to them by the BAU team. "I feel like a high school drama dork." He then suddenly smiled as he recalled something. "What was that play that you did? What was it…Our Town. Yeah, you were good, it was cute," he joked, until Liz elbowed him _hard_ in the ribs.

"Look, you wanna pull this off or not?" Sam asked; it'd been his idea to get a series of outfits to wear when undercover on their various jobs.

Dean sighed. "I'm just sayin', these outfits cost hard-earned money, okay?"

"Dean, remember that the money we used to get these outfits are from the same place as the money that the BAU uses," Liz reminded her twin, who just scowled; to him, they were now under the thumb of the government, but since the BAU had cleared his name, he couldn't help but feel indebted to them.

* * *

The Winchesters were greeted at the front door by the landlady, who then led them upstairs and into the apartment.

"Thanks for lettin' us look around," Sam said, his eyes were automatically drawn to the bloodstains on both the floor and the walls._ 'Yikes!'_

The landlady just nodded and sighed. "Well, the police said they were done with the place, so…"

She and Sam both moved further into the room, and Liz followed them; being the last one in, Dean shut the apartment door and noticed that the chain on the door was broken before joining them in the living room, where spots of blood covered the carpet.

"You guys said you were with the alarm company?" she asked, curious.

Dean nodded. "That's right."

"Well, no offense, but your alarm's about as useful as boobs on a man," the landlady stated flatly.

Dean, Liz, and Sam all exchanged a look.

"Well, that's why we're here," Dean informed her, using their cover story. "To see what went wrong and stop it from happening again."

"Now, ma'am, you found the body?" Sam asked.

The landlady nodded, although it was obvious that she'd wished she hadn't. "Yeah."

"Right after it happened?" Liz asked.

"No," the landlady said, shaking her head. "Few days later. Meredith's work called…she hadn't shown up. I knocked on the door. That's when I noticed the smell."

"Any windows open?" Dean asked. "Any sign of break-in?"

"No, windows were locked, front door was bolted," the landlady explained. "Chain was on the door, we had to cut it just to get in." Which solved the mystery of why the chain was broken.

"And the alarm was still on?" Liz asked.

The landlady nodded again. "Like I said, bang-up job your company's doin'."

"Mmhmm." Dean nodded. "You see any overturned furniture, broken glass, signs of struggle?"

The landlady shook her head. "Everything was in perfect condition…except Meredith."

Sam glanced around at the blood splatters that still remained. "And what condition was Meredith in?"

"Meredith was all over," the landlady answered, shivering. "In pieces. The guy who killed her must have been some kind of a whack job. But I tell you, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said a wild animal did it."

Dean and Liz both glanced at Sam, who nodded.

"Ma'am, do you mind if we take some time? Give this place a once-over?" he requested.

"Oh, well, go right ahead," said the landlady. "Knock yourself out."

Once the landlady was gone, Dean knelt down, opened his toolbox, and took out the EMF meter. "So, a killer walks in and out of the apartment…no weapons, no prints, nothin'."

"I'm tellin' ya, the minute I found that article, I knew this was our kind of gig," Sam told them, taking out the infrared red device and turning it on.

"I think I agree with you," Dean remarked, just as the EMF began beeping frantically.

"Same here," Liz agreed, brow furrowed.

'So, you talked to the cops?" Sam asked as they walked around the living room.

"Uh, yeah," Dean answered, smirking. "I spoke to Amy, a, uh, charming, perky officer of the law."

Sam and Liz exchanged a look, recognizing the faraway tone in their brother's voice. "Yeah? What'd you find out?"

"Well, she's a Sagittarius," Dean answered dreamily. "She loves tequila, I mean…wow. Oh, and she's got this little tattoo-"

"Dean!" Sam and Liz both snapped.

Dean started. "What? Yeah. Uh, nothin' we don't already know," he added. "Except for one thing they're keepin' out of the papers."

"Hm?"

"Meredith's heart was missing," Dean informed them.

Sam and Liz were both stunned. "Her heart?"

Dean nodded. "Yeah. Her heart."

Liz grimaced. "Yuck."

"So, what do you think did it to her?" Sam asked.

"Well, the landlady said it looked like an animal attack," Dean remarked. "Maybe it was…werewolf?" he suggested.

Sam shook his head. "No, no werewolf, the lunar cycle's not right. Plus, if it was a creature, it would've left some kind of trace. It's probably a spirit."

Considering that, both Liz and Dean observed the blood on the carpet and they both noticed something._ 'Was that a pattern?'_

"See if you can find any masking tape around," Dean requested.

Sam found some masking tape, which Dean used to connect each pool of blood; when he was done, the pieces of tape formed an unusual symbol, and they all stood over it.

"Ever see that symbol before?" Sam asked his older siblings.

Both Dean and Liz shook their heads. "Never."

"Me neither," Sam agreed and they exchanged a look. What on Earth was going on in the Windy City?

* * *

Later that night, Dean was flirting with the attractive bartender, who also worked at the same bar that Meredith used to work at; both Sam and Liz entered, looking around. Dean noticed, took one last drink, smiled at the bartender, and then left.

"See ya."

At the other side of the room, Sam and Liz found an empty table and sat down, taking out their father's journal; Sam leafed through the pages, and shortly, Dean sat down across from him and next to Liz.

"I talked to the bartender," Dean told them.

"Did you get anything?" Sam asked, eyebrows raised. "Besides her number?"

Dean was hurt by the question. "Dude, I'm a professional. I'm offended that you would think that," he protested and then sighed when Liz smacked his arm and Sam gave him a knowing look. "Alright, yeah." He chuckled and held up a napkin with the bartender's phone number on it.

Sam and Liz both sighed. "You mind doin' a little bit of thinking with your upstairs brain, Dean?"

"Huh? Look, there's nothing to find out," Dean informed them pocketing the napkin. "I mean, Meredith worked here, she waited tables, everyone here was her friend. Everybody said she was normal. She didn't do or say anything weird before she died, so…what about that symbol, you find anything?"

Sam shook his head and Liz sighed. "Nope, nothing. It wasn't in Dad's journal or in any of the usual books. I just have to dig a little deeper, I guess."

"Well, there was a first victim, right?" Dean asked. "Before Meredith?"

Sam nodded. "Right. Yeah." He pulled out a newspaper clipping concerning the first death. "His name was, uh - his name was Ben Swardstrom," he added, handing the clipping to Dean. "Last month he was found mutilated in his town house. Same deal…the door was locked, the alarm was on."

Dean frowned as he read the article. "Is there any connection between the two of them?"

"Not that I can tell…I mean, not yet, at least," Sam answered. "Ben was a banker, Meredith was a waitress. They never met, never knew anyone in common…they were _practically_ from different worlds."

"Talk about frustrating," Liz groaned. "I'm getting a headache."

Dean sighed, agreeing with his twin sister. "So, to recap, the only successful intel we've scored so far is the bartender's phone number," he muttered and then smirked, but Sam didn't react, he was staring at something at the other side of the room; curious, both Dean and Liz looked around.

"What?"

Ignoring the question, Sam got up and walked away, leaving his older siblings _very_ confused.

"Sam?"

Sam kept walking through the crowd until he reached another table, where a young woman with short blonde hair was seated with her back to him. He put his hand on her shoulder, and she turned around, revealing her to be Meg.

"Meg," he said, amazed.

"Sam!" Meg said delighted and he looked at her curiously, wondering what the odds were of him seeing her in that particular bar of all places, and so far from California. "Sam! Is that you? Oh, my God!" She stood up and they hugged; Sam was slightly puzzled, and they pulled away a few seconds later.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I'm just in town, visiting friends," Sam lied, for some reason he had a feeling that it was better if he didn't tell her the truth.

Meg looked around. "Where are they?"

"Well, they're not here right now, but what about you, Meg?" Sam asked. "I thought you were goin' to California," he added as both Dean and Liz came up behind him.

"Oh, I did," Meg answered, completely ignoring the older Winchesters. "I came, I saw, I conquered. Oh, and I met what's-his-name, something Michael Murray at a bar."

Sam didn't know whom she was talking about. "Who?"

Meg shrugged the question away. "Oh, it doesn't matter. Anyway, the whole scene got old, so I'm living here for a while."

Dean, not liking to be ignored for very long, cleared his throat loudly, but no one was paying any attention, even Liz was starting to feel left out. Who was this woman?

"You're from Chicago?" Sam asked, curious.

"No, Massachusetts…Andover," Meg corrected him. "Gosh, Sam, what are the odds we'd run into each other?"

Sam nodded, having been wondering the same thing. "Yeah, I know, I thought I'd never see you again."

Meg smiled brightly. "Well, I'm glad you were wrong."

Sam nodded again, and Dean cleared his throat again, louder this time.

With a hard expression, Meg finally turned her attention to both Dean and Liz. "Dude, cover your mouth."

"Yeah, um, I'm sorry, Meg," Sam apologized, flushing with embarrassment for having completely forgetting his brother and sister. "This is, uh…this is my brother, Dean, and my sister, Liz."

Meg stared at the Winchester twins, surprised. "This is Dean and Liz? And they're twins?"

Both Dean and Liz smiled, although with a bit of uncertainty.

"Yeah," Sam confirmed.

"So, you've heard of us?" Dean asked.

"Oh, yeah. I've heard of you both," Meg answered, and then her tone turned _very_ cold. "Nice…the way you _both_ treat your brother like luggage."

This left both Dean and Liz very confused. They treated Sam like _luggage?_ Since when?

"Sorry?"

"Why don't you let him do what he wants to do?" Meg suggested angrily. "Stop dragging him over God's green earth."

"Meg, it's alright," Sam said quickly, noting that they were drawing attention, and the hurt expression on Liz's face.

Dean whistled lowly. "Okay, awkward," he mumbled. "I'm gonna get a drink now. Come on, Liz." He gave Sam a puzzled look before heading over to the bar with Liz.

"Sam, I'm sorry," Meg apologized guiltily. "It's just…the way you told me he treats you…if it were me, I'd kill him. As for Liz, I'm sorry for lashing out at her like that since she treats you better then Dean clearly does."

"It's alright," Sam said reassuringly, all the while he was making several mental notes, and among them was apologizing to Dean and Liz as soon as he could, and to also find out who Meg really was. "He means well, and so does Liz, too."

Meg nodded. "Well, we should hook up while you're in town," she suggested as the tension faded.

Sam agreed. "Yeah."

"I'll show you a hell of a time," Meg added slyly.

"You know what, that sounds great," Sam commented. "Why don't you, uh…why don't you give me your number?" And he took out his cell phone to input Meg's number.

"312-555-0143," Meg recited.

"You know what, I never got your last name," Sam remarked as he programmed the number into his phone.

"Masters," Meg told him.

"Masters?" Sam repeated.

Meg nodded. "So, you better call."

"Scout's Honor," Sam promised.

Meg smiled. "I hope to see you around, Sam."

Sam returned the smile and walked away.

* * *

A short while later, Dean, Liz, and Sam all left the bar and headed for the Impala parked nearby.

"Who the hell was she?" Dean asked, referring to Meg.

"I don't really know," Sam admitted. "I only met her once. Meeting up with her again? I don't know, man, it's weird."

"And what was she saying? I treat you like luggage? What, were you bitchin' about me and Liz to some chick?" Dean demanded, still stinging a bit from what Meg had said earlier; he and Liz had accepted Sam's apology, but Meg's words still stung.

"Yeah, since when do I drag you around like luggage, Sam?" Liz asked.

"Look, I'm sorry, Dean, Liz," Sam apologized again. "It was when we had that huge fight when I was in that bus stop in Indiana. But that's not important, just listen-"

"Well, is there any truth to what she's saying?" Dean interrupted. "I mean, am I keeping you against your will, Sam?"

Sam shook his head, wishing that Dean would drop it already. "No, of course not. Now, would you listen?" he requested.

Dean sighed, wincing when Liz elbowed him. "What?"

"I think there's somethin' strange going on here, Dean, Liz," Sam said seriously.

"Yeah, tell me about it. She wasn't even that into me," Dean complained, still thinking about Meg, and then winced when Liz smacked the back of his head. "Hey!"

"Focus, Dean," Liz ordered.

Sam shook his head, smiling slightly at Liz making Dean behave. "No, man, I mean like our kind of strange. Like, maybe even a lead," he stated.

"Why do you say that?" Dean asked.

"I met Meg weeks ago, _literally_ on the side of the road," Sam explained. "And now, I run into her in some random Chicago bar? I mean, the same bar where a waitress was slaughtered by something supernatural? You don't think that's a little weird?"

Dean shrugged. "I don't know, random coincidence. It happens."

"Yeah, it happens, but not to us," Sam stated. "Look, I could be wrong, I'm just sayin' that there's something about this girl that I can't quite put my finger on."

Dean suddenly smirked. "Well, I bet you'd like to," he teased. "I mean, maybe she's not a suspect, maybe you've got a thing for her, huh?" Resulting in an exasperated look from Liz while Sam rolled his eyes and laughed. "Maybe you're thinkin' a little too much with your upstairs brain, huh?" he added, pointing to his head and grinned, until Liz kicked him in the leg.

Sam frowned, serious once again. "Do me a favor," he requested. "Check and see if there's really a Meg Masters from Andover, Massachusetts, and see if you can't dig anything up on that symbol on Meredith's floor."

"What are you gonna do?" Dean asked.

"I'm gonna watch Meg," Sam answered.

Dean laughed. "Yeah, you are."

"Oh, grow up Dean," Liz muttered.

Sam agreed with Liz. "I just wanna see what's what. Better safe than sorry."

Dean grinned. "Alright, you little pervert."

Sam and Liz both glared at him. "Dude."

Dean raised his hands slightly, but was still grinning. "I'm goin', I'm goin'." And both he and Liz crossed the street, leaving Sam by the car.

* * *

A/N: And there is the first chapter, folks. Next week I should be posting on my usual Thursday…hopefully. R&R everyone!


	2. Chapter 2: AMBUSHED!

Supernatural: Shadow

A/N: So, with tomorrow being Pioneer Day here in Happy Valley, Utah, and I'm not sure of what my schedule is going to be like, I'm posting this chapter today instead of tomorrow just to play it safe; thank you to everyone who have put me on their favorite lists and their story/author alerts, that means a lot. So, time for Dean, Liz, and Sam to figure out what is killing people, and what Meg is up to.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or from _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: AMBUSHED! **

A few hours later, Dean was on the computer, researching both Meg and the symbol while Liz was on her own cell phone, talking with Penelope Garcia about looking up more on Meg for them. Finding something, he picked up his cell phone and dialed a number.

* * *

Sam was in the car, parked across the street from the apartment that Meg was living in, having followed her there earlier, when his phone rang and he picked it up. "Hey."

* * *

"Let me guess," Dean said smirking. "You're lurkin' outside that poor girl's apartment, aren't you?"

_`"No,"`_ Sam protested, and Dean waited, almost certain that he could hear Sam rolling his eyes. _`"Yes."`_

Dean chuckled. "You've got a funny way of showin' your affection."

_`"Did you and Liz find anything on her or what?"`_ Sam asked, annoyed.

"Sorry, man, she checks out," Dean informed Sam, deciding not to mention that Liz was getting Penelope to do extra research just in cause. "There is a Meg Masters in the Andover phonebook. I even pulled up her high school photo. Now, look, why don't you go knock on her door and, uh, invite her to a poetry reading, or whatever it is you do, huh?" he suggested.

_`"What about the symbol?"`_ Sam asked, ignoring the suggestion. _`"Any luck?"`_

"Yeah, that we did have some luck with," Dean confirmed as Liz got off her own phone and joined him at the table, just as he switched his phone to speaker while looking at his research. "It's, uh…turns out its Zoroastrian. Very, very old school, like two thousand years before Christ. It's a sigil for a Daeva."

_`"What's a Daeva?"`_ Sam asked, not recognizing the name.

"It translates to "demon of darkness"," Liz answered. "Zoroastrian demons, and they're savage, animalistic, you know, nasty attitudes…kind of like, uh, demonic pit bulls."

Sam was impressed. _`"How'd you figure that out?"`_

"Give us some credit, man," Dean said, sounding hurt. "You don't have a corner on paper chasin' around here."

_`"Oh, yeah? Name the last book you read,"`_ Sam taunted.

Dean sighed, defeated, and Liz laughed, earning a death glare from her twin. "No, I called Dad's friend, Caleb. He told us, alright?"

* * *

Sam smirked. "Yeah." And he glanced up at Meg's dark bedroom window.

_`"Anyway, here's the thing…these Daeva's, they have to be summoned, conjured,"`_ Dean added in.

Sam frowned. "So, someone's controlling it?"

* * *

"Yeah, that's what I'm sayin'," Dean confirmed. "And, from what I gather, it's pretty risky business, too. These suckers tend to bite the hand that feeds them. And, uh, the arms, and torsos."

"Basically these things will tear your to pieces," Liz added.

_`"So, what do they look like?"`_ Sam asked.

"Well, nobody knows, nobody's seen 'em for a couple of millennia," Dean admitted. "I mean, summoning a demon that ancient? Someone really knows their stuff. I think we've got a major player in town. Now, why don't you go give that girl a private strip-o-gram?"

_`"Bite me,"`_ Sam snapped, annoyed again.

"No, bite her," Dean retorted, ducking as Liz attempted to smack the back of his head. "Don't leave teeth marks, though-" but he was cut off when Sam hung up. "Sam? Are you-?" Sighing, he hung up his own phone.

"He hung up on you, didn't he?" Liz asked, smirking at the glare that Dean was giving her. "Thought so."

"Shut up," Dean grumbled. "So what'd Penelope has to say?"

Liz sighed. "Well, the BAU team is currently working on a case in Philadelphia where an serial killer has apparently resurfaced after eighteen years of silence, but she'll do what she can and get back with us as soon as she has something on Meg Masters."

Dean nodded. "Yeah, do you think Sam's right about there being something strange about that Meg girl?"

"Maybe, there does something some thing odd about her," Liz admitted. "I mean, Sam's right about the odds of running into the same person like that twice after three weeks of nothing."

"Yeah, that's strange…even for us."

* * *

Back at the car, Sam put his phone away and looked back up at Meg's window; a few seconds later, a light turned on, and Meg entered her bedroom, wearing a black lace bra. Sam became uncomfortably and looked away; but then he looked back and continued watching Meg as she put on a T-shirt.

After a bit, someone clearing their throat interrupted him; he turned and saw a woman standing outside the car, looking annoyed, and she gestured to the window.

"Oh, no, no, no, I'm just-" Sam began, panicking.

"Pervert," the woman snapped and she walked away angrily.

Sam stared after her, stunned, and then sighed, wondering how he'd got himself into these sort of things. A second later, Meg left her apartment, now wearing a sweatshirt and jacket as well; she walked across the street, briefly glancing at the parked car. Once she was gone, Sam, who'd been hiding, sat up; he got out of the car and followed her.

* * *

A while later, Meg stopped at a graffiti-covered wall, looked around before pulling open a door, which seemed to be part of the wall, and disappeared inside. Once she was out of sight, Sam peered out from behind a building, walked to the wall, and entered through the camouflaged door.

* * *

Once he was inside, Sam walked up a flight of stairs until he reached a door at the top, which he tried to open, but it was locked; he looked around and saw a broken down elevator gate. Sam entered the gate and began to climb the side of it, using different bars as footrests; when he reached the top, he was able to peer through the gate into a dimly lit room.

There was a black altar in the middle of the room, and he saw Meg enter the room and walked over to the altar; he kept watching silently while hanging on to the bars of the gate. Meg reached the altar and picked up a silver bowl filled with blood; she swirled her finger around in the liquid and spoke an incantation in an ancient language. She then began to speak to someone Sam couldn't hear.

"I don't think you should come," Meg said cautious and listened. "Because the brothers and their sister, they're in town, I didn't know that-" she paused and listened. "Yes, sir." She nodded. "Yes, I'll be here - waiting for you."

Sam was confused. Who on Earth was she talking to? And who was coming to the city?

Meg set down the bowl, blew out the candles at the altar, and then left the room; once she was gone, Sam moved to the wall, where there was a space through which he hoisted himself up, pulled himself through the hole, and climbed into the room. He walked to the altar and examined it; there were several human hearts on the table, along with other ancient items, and in the middle of the altar was the Zoroastrian symbol, drawn in blood.

"What the hell-?"_ 'What is this Meg girl up to?'_

* * *

Sam entered and looked around for Dean and Liz, who came up right behind him.

"Dude, I gotta talk to you," they all said at the same time.

* * *

A while later, Sam had just told them all that he'd discovered.

"So, hot little Meg is summoning the Daeva?" Dean asked, surprised and Liz was sitting on one of the beds, stunned.

Sam nodded. "Looks like she was using that black altar to control the thing."

"So, Sammy's got a thing for the bad girl," Dean teased, chuckling, and then winced when Liz elbowed him in the ribs, and Sam rolled his eyes. "And what's the deal with that bowl again?" he requested.

"She was talking into it," Sam explained. "The way witches used to scry into crystal balls or animal entrails. She was communicating with someone."

Dean frowned. "With who? With the Daeva?"

"No, you said those things were savages," Sam reminded him. "No, this was someone different. Someone who's giving her orders. Someone who's comin' to that warehouse."

"Someone big from the sounds of things," Liz remarked, shaken up by everything they've discovered so far.

Dean, who was standing, thought for a moment and glanced at some files on a nearby table; he then sat down at the table and looked through them. "Holy crap."

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"What I was gonna tell you earlier," Dean informed him as Liz joined him at the table. "I pulled a favor with my…" he cleared his throat "…friend, Amy, over at the police department. The complete records of the two victims…we missed something the first time."

"What?" Sam repeated, as he joined them at the table to look at the records.

"The first victim, the old man…he spent his whole life in Chicago, but he wasn't born here," Dean explained. "Look where he was born." And Liz pointed to something on the page.

Sam looked and his jaw dropped. "Lawrence, Kansas."

Dean nodded. "Mmhmm." And he picked up the second file. "Meredith, second victim…turns out she was adopted. And guess where she's from."

The paper read "Lawrence, Kansas", and Sam sat down across from Dean and Liz, clearly shocked. "Holy crap."

Dean and Liz both nodded, having been shocked by the news, too. "Yeah."

"I mean, it is where the demon killed Mom," Sam said slowly, trying to process it all. "That's where everything started. So, you think Meg's tied up with the demon?"

"We think it's a definite possibility," Liz said.

"But I don't understand. What's the significance of Lawrence?" Sam wondered. "And how do these Daeva things fit in?"

"Beats me," Dean admitted. "But I say we trash that black altar, grab Meg, and have ourselves a friendly little interrogation."

"And I second that," Liz agreed.

"No, we can't," Sam objected, thinking of a different plan. "We shouldn't tip her off. We've gotta stake out that warehouse. We've gotta see who, or what, is showin' up to meet her."

That actually made sense to Dean, who added in his own two cents. "I'll tell you one thing. I don't think we should do this alone."

* * *

Roughly an hour later, Dean was leaving a message on John's voicemail when Sam returned to the room with three bags full of weapons.

"We think we've got a serious lead on the thing that killed Mom," Dean explained, hoping that their dad would actually listen to his voicemail for a change and maybe show up to help. "So, uh, this warehouse…it's 1435 West Erie. Dad, if you get this, get to Chicago as soon as you can." And he hung up.

"Voicemail?" Sam asked, setting the bags onto the nearest bed.

"Yeah," Dean confirmed and then gestured to the bags. "Jesus, what'd you get?"

Sam chuckled while Liz opened the nearest bag. "I ransacked that trunk," he answered. "Holy water, every weapon that I could think of, exorcism rituals from about a half dozen religions. I'm not sure what to expect, so I guess we should just expect everything."

"Good idea," Liz agreed.

Dean nodded, fully agreeing too, and they began loading their guns silently.

"Big night," Dean remarked causally.

Sam nodded. "Yeah. You both nervous?"

"Yes," Liz answered as it was true.

"No," Dean responded at the same time, getting a sigh from his twin. "Why, are you?"

Sam shook his head, ignoring the skeptical look from his sister. "No. No way." And they were silent for a few seconds. "God, could you imagine if we actually found that damn thing? That demon?" he wondered, voicing their thoughts.

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, alright?" Dean suggested.

Sam sighed. "I know. I'm just sayin', what if we did? What if this whole thing was over tonight? Man, I'd sleep for a month. Go back to school…be a person again," he added.

Dean stared at his little brother, surprised. "You wanna go back to school?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, once we're done huntin' the thing."

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea," Liz commented; personally, she'd been thinking of going back to finish high school and maybe also go onto college like Sam had, but hadn't dare voice the thought around Dean.

Dean couldn't believe what he was hearing from his siblings and went back to strapping a black brace onto his left wrist. "Huh."

"Why, is there somethin' wrong with that?" Sam asked, somewhat confused by Dean's attitude.

Dean shook his head, but didn't look at either of them. "No. No, it's, uh, great. Good for you."

Sam frowned, having learned to recognized when Dean was avoiding a topic and exchanged a look with Liz. "I mean, what are you gonna do when it's all over?"

"It's never gonna be over," Dean retorted, still not looking at them. "There's gonna be others. There's always gonna be somethin' to hunt."

Sam didn't believe this for a second. "But there's got to be somethin' that you want for yourself-" he began.

"Yeah, I don't want both you and Liz to leave the second this thing's over, Sam," Dean interrupted and walked over to the dresser.

Sam and Liz exchanged shocked looks, they couldn't believe that Dean was being so selfish! "Dean, we can't be hunters forever."

Dean didn't answer right away, but then he turned back to them. "Why do you think I drag you both everywhere?" he asked. "Huh? I mean, why do you think Liz and I came and got you at Stanford in the first place?"

"'Cause Dad was in trouble," Sam answered. "'Cause you both wanted to find the thing that killed Mom."

Dean nodded since that was true. "Yes, that, but it's more than that, man." He then turned back to the dresser and was silent again; after a few minutes, he turned back to face his siblings again. "You, Liz, and me and Dad…I mean, I want us…I want us to be together again. I want us to be a family again."

Sam and Liz both sighed, finally realizing what he was getting at; Dean wanted them back together like in the past.

"Dean, we _are_ a family," Sam told him. "I'd do anything for you. But things will never be the way they were before."

"Dean, that's the past, and there's no going back," Liz added. "We can still be family… just not in that way."

Dean was heartbroken. "Could be," he said sadly.

"I don't want them to be," Sam said honestly. "I'm not gonna live this life forever. Dean, when this is all over, you're gonna have to let me go my own way."

"And I want to go my own way, too," Liz imputed. "Once the demon that killed mom is dead, I want to move on with my life." And they all shared a look.

* * *

Later that same night, Sam, Liz, and Dean all climbed the elevator gate and reached the top room, each carrying a bag on their backs; inside, Meg was standing at the altar, speaking in an ancient language. Quietly, Sam, Liz, and Dean all squeezed through the space between the gate and the wall; they drew their guns and moved to the other side of the room, hiding behind some crates.

"Guys," Meg said suddenly, and the Winchesters looked at each other, stunned, wondering how she knew that they were there. "Hiding's a little bit childish, don't you think?" she asked.

Dean grimaced. "Well, that didn't work out like I planned."

Meg turned around to face the crates that they were hiding behind. "Why don't you come out?" she requested; reluctantly, Sam, Liz, and Dean all came out from behind the crates, their guns at the ready. "Sam, I have to say, this puts a real crimp in our relationship," she added, both bemused and disappointed.

Sam glowered at her. "Yeah, tell me about it."

"So, where's your little Daeva friend?" Dean asked.

"Around," Meg answered vaguely. "You know, that shotgun's not gonna do much good."

"Oh, don't worry, sweetheart," Dean said reassuringly. "The shotgun's not for the demon."

"Yeah, we have others stuff for any demons that show up," Liz added.

"So, who is it, Meg?" Sam asked. "Who's coming? Who are you waiting for?"

Meg suddenly smiled. "You."

This answer left the Winchesters confused, and little did they know, the shadow demon began to form on the wall; it quickly knocked Sam to the ground and threw both Dean and Liz into the crates. A few seconds later, all three Winchesters were clawed and unconscious while Meg smirked, pleased with her successful trap.

* * *

A/N: Ouch, that's gotta hurt. So, I now curse you all with an evil cliffy! _MAWHAHAHAHAHA!_ R&R everyone!


	3. Chapter 3: TRAPS AND A FAREWELL

Supernatural: Shadow

A/N: Hey, so here's what was happening last week: I've been dealing with a cold, which tends to mess with my mind, which is why I ended up posting that chapter earlier then usual as I'd gotten the days mixed up. Anyway, here's the last chapter for this story, and you'll get to see how the Winchesters get out of this trap.

Read, review, and enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything from _Supernatural_ or from _Criminal Minds_. I just own any and all characters that I just happen create.

* * *

**CHAPTER THREE: TRAPS AND A FAREWELL**

It was an unknown numbers of hours later when Dean, Liz, and Sam, who were tied to three separate posts, all came to and found Meg sitting before them.

"Hey, Sam?" Dean said groggily. "Don't take this the wrong way, but your girlfriend…is a bitch."

"For once I have to agree," Liz mumbled sourly.

Sam ignored them and fixed his eyes on the blonde woman. "This, the whole thing, was a trap," he said as several puzzle pieces fell into place. "Running into you at the bar, following you here, hearin' what you had to say. It was all a set-up, wasn't it?" Meg laughed, proving him right. "And that the victims were from Lawrence?" he asked.

"It doesn't mean anything," Meg said off-handedly, impressed with what Sam had managed to figure out. "It was just to draw you in, that's all."

Sam glared at her. "You killed those two people for nothin'."

Meg smirked, not looking the bit sorry. "Baby, I've killed a lot more for a lot less."

"You trapped us. Good for you. It's Miller time," Dean groused, smiling. "But why don't you kill us already?"

"Yeah, why tie us up when you can have your shadow pet kill us," Liz growled.

"Not very quick on the uptake, are we?" Meg asked, leaning in closer. "This trap isn't for you."

Both Dean and Liz were puzzled, but it was Sam who realized what she meant. "Dad. It's a trap for Dad."

Dean and Liz both gaped at Meg, who smiled at him.

"Oh, sweetheart - you're dumber than you look," Dean said. "'Cause even if Dad was in town, which he is not, he wouldn't walk into something like this. He's too good."

"He is pretty good," Meg agreed. "I'll give you that." She then stood up, walked over to him and sat down, straddling his legs. "But you see, he has one weakness."

Dean didn't understanding. "What's that?"

Meg smirked. "You. He lets his guard down around his boys and his little girl, lets his emotions cloud his judgment. I happen to know he is in town. And he'll come and try to save you. And then the Daeva's will kill everybody…nice and slow and messy."

Both Dean and Liz, who didn't like being called a little girl, glared at her. "Well, I've got news for ya. It's gonna take a lot more than some…shadow to kill him."

"Oh, the Daeva's are in the room here…they're invisible," Meg informed them. "Their shadows are just the only part you can see."

"Why you doin' this, Meg?" Sam asked, stalling for time. "What kind of deal you got worked out here, huh? And with who?"

"I'm doing this for the same reasons you do what you do…loyalty," Meg answered. "Love. Like the love you had for Mommy…and Jess."

"Go to hell," Sam growled.

"Baby, I'm already there," Meg retorted, smiling and slid over to him. "Come on, Sam. There's no need to be nasty," she added, leaning in to whisper in his ear. "I think we both know how you really feel about me. You know, I saw you watching me…changing in my apartment. Turned you on, didn't it?"

Dean and Liz both groaned, feeling sick to their stomachs. "Get a room, you two."

"I didn't mind," Meg added, ignoring the twins. "I liked that you were watching me. Come on, Sammy. You and I can still have a little dirty fun." And she began kissing his neck.

"You wanna have fun?" Sam asked sarcastically. "Go ahead then. I'm a little tied up right now."

Meg smiled and continued to kiss him, when a noise on Dean and Liz's side of the room made her stop; she got up and walked behind their posts. She saw that they both had a knife in their hands; scowling, she took them away and tossed them into a corner.

Meg then swung around to the other side of the post, and smiled at Dean, who chuckled guiltily while Liz just rolled her eyes; satisfied, she slid back over to Sam.

"Now, were you just trying to distract me while your brother and sister cut themselves free?" she asked.

Sam shook his head and suddenly smirked. "No. No. That's because I have a knife of my own."

Meg was confused until he suddenly broke free from his ropes and grabbed her shoulders, and then knocked his head against hers; she fell to the floor, dazed, while he groaned in pain.

"Sam!" Dean shouted. "Get the altar."

Sam quickly got to his feet, went over to the altar and overturned it; suddenly, the shadow demon appeared and grabbed Meg, who screamed. She was dragged across the floor and crashed through the window, falling down to the street below. Moving quickly, Sam grabbed his knife and cut both Dean and Liz free from their ropes; they then walked over to the window and saw Meg sprawled on the sidewalk, dead, surrounded by broken glass and wood.

"So, I guess the Daeva's didn't like being bossed around," Sam remarked wearily.

"Looks like it," Liz agreed.

Dean nodded. " Yeah, I guess not. Hey, Sam?"

Sam glanced at him. "Hm?"

"Next time you wanna get laid, find a girl that's not so buckets-o'-crazy, huh?" Dean suggested, smiling and walked away while both Sam and Liz just sighed, wondering what they were going to do with their insane brother.

* * *

After retrieving their gear and a quick car drive later, Dean, Liz, and Sam were now walking back to their room.

"Why didn't you just leave that stuff in the car?" Dean asked, nodding to the bag that Sam was still carrying over one shoulder.

"I said it before, and I'll say it again," Sam stated, "better safe than sorry."

Both Liz and Dean could agree with that as he unlocked the door and they entered the room.

The moment at they entered, they could see the outline of a man standing by the window.

"Hey!" Dean shouted while Sam quickly turned on the light and Liz reached for the bag when the man turned around, revealing himself to be John, their dad. Sam, Liz, and Dean were stunned.

"Dad?"

"Hey, boys, Lizzy," John said as a greeting with a sad smile.

Shocked, Dean and John walked towards each other and shared a long, emotional hug while Sam watched sadly, and Liz was left speechless. After a few seconds, they pulled apart, and John turned to Liz, who he hugged next, and she burst into tears of relief.

John released his daughter and turned to his youngest son. "Hi, Sam."

"Hey, Dad," Sam said softly as he placed the bag full of weapons on the floor.

"Dad, it was a trap," Dean told him emotionally. "I didn't know, I'm sorry."

"It's alright," John said reassuringly. "I thought it might've been."

Dean and Liz both stared, surprised. "Were you there?"

"Yeah, I got there just in time to see the girl take the swan dive," John confirmed. "She was the bad guy, right?"

Dean, Liz, and Sam all nodded. "Yes, sir."

John figured as much. "Good. Well, it doesn't surprise me. It's tried to stop me before."

"The demon has?" Sam asked, concerned.

"It knows I'm close," John informed them. "It knows I'm gonna kill it. Not just exorcise it or send it back to hell…actually kill it."

"How?" Dean asked, wondering if it was possible to actually kill a demon.

John smiled. "I'm workin' on that."

"Let us come with you," Sam requested, wanting to help. "We'll help." And both Dean and Liz nodded, too.

"No, Sam," John said, refusing gently. "Not yet. Just try to understand. This demon is a scary son of a bitch. I don't want you caught in a crossfire. I don't want you hurt."

Sam sighed, but actually kept his temper in check for a change, partly because he was glad to see their dad and partly because he was exhausted from being used as a punching bag earlier. "Dad, you don't have to worry about us."

"Of course I do. I'm your father," John stated, smiling slightly. "Listen, Sammy, last time we were together, we had one hell of a fight."

Sam nodded. "Yes, sir."

"It's good to see you again," John said honestly. "It's been a long time."

"Too long," Sam agreed, and they embraced, crying. A minute later, they pulled apart, and the four of them looked at each other tearfully; suddenly, the shadow demon attacked John, and he was thrown into a set of cabinets and fell to the floor. A second shadow demon attacked Sam, who was also knocked to the floor.

"No!" Dean and Liz both screamed before they were also thrown to the floor as well by a _third_ shadow demon.

* * *

Outside the motel, Meg, who was very much alive and unhurt, was watching while holding a pendant around her neck, which featured the Zoroastrian symbol.

* * *

Sam, Dean, Liz, and John were still being attacked by the shadow demons; they all groaned and screamed in pain as they were flung around the room. Fresh scratches appearing on their faces. Struggling, Sam made his way to the bag of weapons on the floor, and removed a flare from the bag.

"Shut your eyes!" he ordered. "These things are shadow demons, so let's light 'em up!" And John, Dean, and Liz all quickly shut their eyes.

Sam lighted the flare, and the room was instantly filled with smoke and a brilliant white light, causing the shadow demons to vanish; the four of them then felt their way around the room, coughing and sputtering.

"Dad!" Dean shouted while keeping a firm grip on Liz's arm to help her along.

"Over here!" John shouted, struggling to his feet.

The Winchester twins made their way to their dad and helped him up; Sam followed them out of the room, carrying the bag of weapons.

* * *

Supporting each other, the Winchesters exited the building and walked down an alley to the car, where Sam quickly put the bag in the backseat.

"Alright, come on," he said, turning to help their dad into the car. "We don't have much time. As soon as the flare's out, they'll be back."

Dean, however, had other ideas. "Wait, wait. Sam, wait," he ordered and then turned to their dad. "Dad, you can't come with us."

Sam and Liz both stared at him, surprised and confused. "What? What are you talkin' about?"

"Dean, we've got to get out of here now," Liz added.

John knew what Dean was getting at, and he didn't like it. "You boys and Liz…you're beat to hell," he pointed out.

"We'll be alright," Dean said reassuringly.

"Dean, we should stick together," Sam protested. "We'll go after those demons-"

"Sam! Liz! Listen to me!" Dean snapped. "We almost got Dad killed in there. Don't you understand? They're not gonna stop, they're gonna try again. They're gonna use us to get to him. I mean, Meg was right. Dad's vulnerable when he's with us. He's…he's stronger without us around."

"That might be true, Dean, but when we're together we're also stronger," Liz pointed out. "Sometimes, when we're at our weakest, we're also at our strongest."

Sam nodded and turned to their dad. "Dad, no." And he put a hand on their father's shoulder while both Liz and Dean watched sadly. "After everything, after all the time we spent lookin' for you…please. I gotta be a part of this fight."

John sighed at he looked at his youngest son with pride; he rarely admitted it, but he was always proud of Sam, and he understood just how much it meant to his kids to be there when the demon was finally put down. "Sammy, this fight is just starting," he said honestly. "And we are all gonna have a part to play. For now, you've got to trust me, son. Okay, you've gotta let me go."

All four of them were silent for a moment, and close to tears; finally, Sam patted their father's shoulder once, and then let go. John, Liz, and Dean all shared a look, and then John walked to his truck, which was parked nearby; once there, he looked back at them one more time.

"Be careful, boys, Lizzy," he cautioned and then got into his truck.

"Come on," Dean said, and he, Liz, and Sam got into the Impala and watched as their father drove down the alley and turned a corner until he was out of sight, and then Dean, Liz, and Sam looked at each other knowingly. Without a word, Dean started the car, backed into the street, and then sped away.

* * *

Meg walked up a flight of stairs that led to the subway and onto the street, and watched as the Winchesters turned a corner._ 'Dammit! Dad is _so_ not going to like this.'_

* * *

A/N: And that's it for this story, which I hope you all enjoyed, and I'll see you all for the next one at a later date. R&R everyone!


End file.
